Footwear: Negative Top Line Data Point

I’m not pulling the alarm yet. But if I am raising an eyebrow over this, I’ve gotta think that some retailers are too.

I’m not loving the incremental change in sales in footwear over the past 1-2 weeks. Keep in mind that footwear was noted as a standout category by many retailers when August sales numbers were released. But since then, sales have decelerated on a 1, 2 and 3-year basis.

I will NEVER get bent out of shape and pull the plug on any investment thesis over a couple weeks of data. I know that inventories out there are clean, and the channel can stomach a slight inventory build. But if I am raising an eyebrow over this, I’ve gotta think that some retailers are as well. Let’s watch this real closely over the next few weeks.

Source: NPD FashionWorld

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09/11/08 11:03 AM EDT

Liquidity Watch: Revisiting the TED Spread

Treasuries are rising on Lehman jitters, LIBOR won’t budge

The spread between closing 3 Month Treasury Yields and Libor are at the widest level since July. As short term borrowers like the team at Lehman can tell you –in this market those that have liquidity are demanding payment from those that require liquidity.

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09/11/08 10:49 AM EDT

PNRA - A VERY favorable CHART!

In addition to a more favorable commodity trends, the company cut capital spending to maximize returns over the next 12-months.

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Daily Trading Ranges

20 Proprietary Risk Ranges

Daily Trading Ranges is designed to help you understand where you’re buying and selling within the risk range and help you make better sales at the top end of the range and purchases at the low end.

LDG – IMPLICATIONS OF LDG’S RECENT FILING

On 8/18/08, I wrote a note on LDG titled California Dreaming. In that note I said;

“In short, selling a company’s undervalued real estate creates an enormous tax burden, which limits the cash available to maximize value for shareholders. I truly believe that Bill Ackman knows this, and I have yet to see a structure from him that would get around the tax issue completely.”

Yesterday, LDG offered these comments in a filing;

“The Company’s owned properties were acquired over the life of the Company and, as such, have a low tax basis. Accordingly, if the Company were to sell these properties outright or in a sale-leaseback transaction it would incur a significant tax liability in doing so. The Company determined that, taking this tax liability into account along with the transaction fees, the after tax proceeds from the outright sale of its owned real estate would not offset the loss of income from the sold properties and that the sum of the amounts that the Company could obtain from the sale of its owned properties and operating business separately would not exceed the value of the consideration offered by CVS. Similarly, that if the Company were to lease back these properties that the capitalized value of the increased rent and property tax expense payable over the lease terms would more than offset the net proceeds of the sale (i.e., after payment of the tax liabilities and transaction expenses) and would accordingly not increase the consideration that an acquirer would pay to acquire the Company.”

From this we can rule out another bidder to take advantage of LDG’s undervalued real estate! Where do we go from here? I believe that it’s unlikely that WAG is going to out bid CVS. So who else wants to buy an underperforming drug retailer? WMT? I still have yet to see a sum of the parts analysis that values the company above $71.50, but WMT has the cash to pay more if it wants to.

Wal-Mart Stores is getting ready to open its first Marketside store in Phoenix, AZ. Apparently, WMT is also looking for locations in Southern California. According to the Financial Times, Wal-Mart has applied for a liquor license for a Marketside unit in Oceanside, a coastal city north of San Diego — a couple of miles from a Tesco’s Fresh & Easy. Marketside stores are modeled around a 15,000-20,000 sq. ft. box and will offer fresh foods and prepared meals. I mention this because the average LDG store is also about 20,000 sq. ft. so LDG’s current stores could fit perfectly with WMT’s Marketside store strategy.

Relative to the market capitalization of WMT, buying LDG is a drop in the bucket. With WMT outperforming TGT and the stock on the new high list, the distraction of buying LDG would not sit well with shareholders.

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09/11/08 09:27 AM EDT

Allergan (AGN): Bullish headache data on the tape this morning

My Partner, Tom Tobin, who runs our healthcare business, will have a note out on this later on. Bottom line is that this is a positive incremental event for Allergan. Bottom line is that this is a positive incremental event for the company. My short term upside target is $57.83. We are long it in the Hedgeye Portfolio.

KM

chart courtesy of stockcharts.com

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09/11/08 09:13 AM EDT

He said it... not me.

“I feel like I am playing whack-a-mole every day”... Fuld to the Wall Street Journal.

This is the unfortunate outcome for those who manage their business reactively vs. proactively.KM

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